Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 940’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘COSEH 940’, characterized by its upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; dark green-colored leaves; long flowering period; Single white to light yellow green-colored flowers that are slightly tinged with greyed purple; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Helleborus niger×Helleborus lividus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘COSEH 940’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus niger×Helleborus lividus, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘COSEH 940’.

The new Helleborus plant is a product of a planned breeding program in Glandorf, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to create new uniform Helleborus plants with unique and attractive plant habit, leaf and flower coloration and resistance to pests.

The new Helleborus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany in December, 2006 of an unnamed proprietary seedling selection of Helleborus niger, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietary seedling selection of Helleborus lividus, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Helleborus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf, Germany in November, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus plant by divisions in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf, Germany since February, 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Helleborus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Helleborus have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘COSEH 940’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘COSEH 940’ as a new and distinct Helleborus plant:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Long flowering period.     -   5. Single white to light yellow green-colored flowers that are         slightly tinged with greyed purple.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the parent selections, plants of the new Helleborus are more uniformly mounded and are more uniformly and freely flowering.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of Helleborus niger×Helleborus lividus ‘COSEH 710’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,063. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Glandorf, Germany, plants of the new Helleborus differed from plants of ‘COSEH 710’ in leaf and flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Helleborus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Helleborus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘COSEH 940’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘COSEH 940’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the winter in 15-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf, Germany and under environmental conditions and cultural practices which closely approximate commercial Helleborus production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 3° C. to 18° C. Plants were 14 months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus niger×Helleborus lividus ‘COSEH     940’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Helleborus niger, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Helleborus lividus, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About two months at 12° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About six months at             4° C. to 15° C.         -   Root description.—Thick to thin, fleshy; white to brown in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Sparse. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright             and uniformly mounding plant habit with flowers held just             above the foliar plane; plant shape is globular; moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 34.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 41.2 cm. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in a basal rosette; leaves             palmately compound with five leaflets per leaf.         -   Leaf length.—About 12.4 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 14.7 cm.         -   Leaflet length.—About 8.4 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 3.9 cm.         -   Leaf shape.—Palmate; orbicular in outline.         -   Leaflet shape.—Ovate to broadly ovate.         -   Leaflet apex.—Acute.         -   Leaflet base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaflet margin.—Sharply serrate; moderately undulate.         -   Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;             leathery.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to             N137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Between 148A and             197A. Fully developed leaves, upper surface: Between 147A             and 189A; venation, close to 144A to 144B. Fully developed             leaves, lower surface: Between 148B and 191A; venation,             close to 152A.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 7.8 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146B to 146C heavily             dotted with close to N199A to N199B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape and habit.—Single rotate flowers arranged in             terminal and axillary cymes; freely and uniform flowering             habit with about 60 flowers and flower buds developing per             terminal inflorescence; flowers facing outwardly to slightly             nodding and slightly upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten             months after planting; long flowering period, plants flower             from late winter to early spring in Germany.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 cm.             Shape: Ovate. Color: Close to 145C tinged with close to             182D.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 27.1 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 36.5 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6.3 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 2.6 cm.         -   Petals.—Transformed into nectaries.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 3.1 cm. Width: About 2.4 cm. Shape:             Broadly elliptic to obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Between 145C to 145D and 150D;             towards the base, close to 145C. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 145B to 145C slightly tinged with close to             177D. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 155A to 155C;             center slightly tinged with close to 150D; towards the             margins slightly tinged with lighter than 186D; towards the             base, close to 145B; with development, color becoming closer             to 144A. Fully opened, lower surface: Between 155C and 145D             moderately tinged with between 177D and 182D.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About             21.3 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Aspect: About 10° from             vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A to             144B heavily dotted with close to 178A.         -   Pedicels.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About 2.7 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Aspect: Erect to about 30° from the             peduncle axis. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             145C moderately dotted with close to 182D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 60.             Filament length: About 1.4 cm. Filament color: Close to             157D. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther length: About 2 mm.             Anther color: Close to 154B to 154C. Pollen amount: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 158D. Pistils: Quantity per flower:             About five. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape:             Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 150D. Style length:             About 9 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close             to 145B to 145C. Nectaries (transformed petals): Quantity             per flower: About 14. Length: About 9 mm. Diameter, apex:             About 2 mm. Diameter, base: About 1 mm. Shape: Flattened             triangular. Color: Close to 150B; towards the apex, close to             N144A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Helleborus. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain and wind;     plants of the new Helleborus have been observed to tolerate high     temperatures of about 35° C. and are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Helleborus plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 940’ as illustrated and described. 